News

“Hybris” is an art-based research initiative that demonstrates innovative ways to repurpose waste materials into art and building materials. Since 2019, Yana Zschiedrich has been exploring this concept by integrating mealworms as participatory elements in the creative process. This collaboration enables the transformation of expanded polystyrene into biodegradable materials that can be used in the construction industry as a sustainable alternative to sand.

Yana Zschiedrich is an interdisciplinary artist with a focus on artistic research. After completing her bachelor’s degree in interior design at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design (2015), she completed her diploma and masterclass studies at the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (2020 and 2024). Her work operates at the intersection of material research, sustainability and experimental art practice. In her current projects, she deals with ecological challenges and combines innovative material research with a profound artistic exploration.

Photo Credit: Marco Dirr

Event programme:

From 17:00 – Open Doors
17:30 – Hybris with Yana Zschiedrich

Yana Zschiedrich’s research initiative Hybris examines the complex relationship between humans, nature and the built environment. She develops innovative approaches – such as Geobris, a sustainable building material she designed – to rethink the interface between concept and materiality. Her works critically reflect on human hubris and explore ways of designing art and architecture in harmony with ecological principles.

18:30 – Guided tour through FUNKEN Currents

The FUNKEN Kolleg exhibition marks the conclusion of an intensive artistic-research dialogue. Over the course of several months, art, science and business have researched, experimented and networked with each other beyond academic boundaries – in pursuit of common questions. Following the lecture, there will be an opportunity to get to know the resulting works.

Afterwards, we will round off the evening with music, drinks and stimulating conversations in a convivial atmosphere.

Admission free | Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

Open Thursday to Saturday, 14 May to 7 June from 15:00-19:00!
Guided tours by appointment at christoph@klubsolitaer.de

The artistic-scientific web application Waves in the wood – the tree body as an audiovisual data network
Atelier Polza and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research use 3D models, sounds and interactive representations to visualise the sap flow and environmental parameters of apple trees. The complex water balance data is translated into a sensual, spatial and intuitive experience that makes plant physiological processes accessible in a new way.

The Cottoniddemonstrator studies
Kollektiv Plus X and the Fraunhofer IWU are investigating the sustainable material Cottonid – a cellulose-based material with a long history. Using the example of a stool, its potential in lightweight construction can be experienced. The work combines technical and social issues and invites people to engage with sustainable materials.

The installation Protocols in Process by Laura Immler
Invisible processes from research and everyday corporate life on the Chemnitz Technology Campus are translated into a multimedia structure of sound, material and coded information. Between laboratory aesthetics and artistic intervention, the space between secrecy and disclosure is made accessible in a sensual and intellectual way.

The walk-in sound installation Rattling landscapes, humming engines
The sound artist team led by Frederike Moormann, embeat (Matthias Millhoff) and PinPoint GmbH interweaves personal memories with the industrial history of Chemnitz. The interactive audio walk combines sound art, movement and technology to create an immersive archive of the automotive world – between memory, spatial perception and questions about the future.

The textile installation WALDMEISTER – hidden treasures
Together with the STFI, Undoyarn and the EscheLab, Wiete Sommer tells the story of a Chemnitz that creates new cycles, forms and communities from industrial traces, old textiles and local myths. The collaborative process does not end with the completion of the work – through their interaction, the visitors themselves become part of a joint creation.

Guided tours take place every Thursday between 16:00 and 18:00.
Please register in advance. The starting times vary depending on the number of registrations.

Created in the collaborations of:
3D-Micromac AG
Atelier Polza
EDC Electronic Design Chemnitz GmbH
DasEsche Lab
Fraunhofer-Institut ENAS
Fraunhofer-Institut IWU
Frederike Moormann
Kollektiv X
Laura Immler
Matthias Millhoff
Pinpoint GmbH
Projekt MIRO
Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e. V.TU MAIN Undoyarn Vector Informatik GmbH Wiete Sommer GmbH Projekt MIRO SächsischesTextilforschungsinstitut e.V.
TU MAIN
Undoyarn
Vector Informatik GmbH
Wiete Sommer

The FUNKEN Kollegs have developed individual projects that transcend academic disciplinary boundaries and address common issues. The conference brings together thought leaders and practitioners from the arts, science and entrepreneurship. In a dialogue between creative disciplines and technological innovation, pioneering ideas are discussed and artistic-scientific research projects from Chemnitz are presented.

The conference offers an exciting programme with keynote speeches, discussions and exhibitions that shed light on the interfaces between creative disciplines and technological innovation. Visitors will gain insights into the creative projects that have been developed as part of the FUNKEN Kolleg and can experience the highlights of this collaboration up close.

Wednesday, 14 May I 15:00-22:00

Admission free | Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

Programme of the event

15:00 – Open Doors

15:30 – Welcome by Bernhard Scheerer, Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Protection
15:40 – Presentation of the FUNKEN Academy & Kolleg
16:00 – Keynote Dirk Dobiey from Age of Artists
16:35 – Panel for the presentation of Collaborations I with the participants of the collaborations between:

Wiete Sommer x Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. x Undoyarn x Esche Lab
Atelier Polza x Project Miro

17:20 – Break

17:35 – Panel for the presentation of Collaborations II with the participants of the collaborations between:

Fraunhofer IWU x Kollektiv X
Laura Immler x Technologiecampus
Frederike Moormann x PinPoint GmbH x Matthias Millhoff / Embeat

18:20 – Wrap-up & exhibition opening
18:30 – Concert Moritz Simon Geist – Hard Times Soft Sounds

from 7:00 pm – evening with drinks and snacks

Dirk Dobiéy

Dirk Dobiey is co-founder of Age of Artists. The business economist and organisational developer worked for many years as a manager and consultant in an international context – including at SAP, T-Systems and Hewlett Packard. Age of Artists is a non-profit consultancy and research company that specialises in transferring artistic approaches to other disciplines. In his article, he provides insights into how this is realised in practice and talks about the design principles on which Age of Artists’ work is based.

>you are warmly invited<

The conference is moderated by ‘you are warmly invited’ The initiative focuses on work processes. You are warmly invited to get to know the range of aesthetic practices of the performing arts in Saxony and to participate in their networking, professionalisation and visualisation. Together with actors from the time-based visual and performing arts, experiences have been shared, knowledge generated and new connections established through various formats since 2020.

Moritz Simon Geist

Moritz Simon Geist is a musician, musicologist and robotics engineer who works at the interface of music and technology. With his work on mechanical robots that independently produce music, he combines the disciplines of music production, robotics and acoustics research. Moritz’s work questions the relationship between man, machine and sound and offers new perspectives on music production.

We would like to thank:
3D-Micromac AG, Atelier Polza, EDC Electronic Design Chemnitz GmbH, Das Esche Lab, Fraunhofer-Institut ENAS, Fraunhofer-Institut IWU, Frederike Moormann, Kollektiv X, Laura Immler, Matthias Millhoff, Pinpoint GmbH, Projekt MIRO, Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V., TU MAIN, Undoyarn, Vector, Informatik GmbH, Wiete Sommer

Impressions of the event

Photographs by Michele Scognamillo

On the road, in front of a smartphone or in medicine – the machine’s gaze often penetrates our everyday lives unnoticed. It translates our appearance and our movements into data. It documents reality and creates reality when this data once again becomes the basis for human behaviour. In order to discover different perspectives on this topic, we have invited guests who work on this subject from very different directions. This FUNKEN Night particularly emphasises the interdisciplinary character of the FUNKEN Academy. Tonight’s programme was created in collaboration with the FUNKEN Academy, makers united and Motion Composer GmbH.

From 17:00 Open Doors

17:30 to 18:00 – Motion Composer

Their vision is to make music and dance accessible to all, regardless of age and ability, and to place creativity, guided by individual and self-determined forms of expression, at the centre of education, individual well-being and community life. To this end, they have developed the Motion Composer, a device that translates movement into sound.

18:00 to 18:45 – Ferdinand Doblhammer and Lea Karnutsch
FerdinandDoblhammer and Lea Karnutsch work together at the interface of media art, music and choreography. They deal with the medium of dance and critically scrutinise the interface of motion tracking. Which human figures does the machine recognise? Which ones does it not recognise? And what effects does this recognition have on the integration of the devices into our society?

Ferdinand and Lea are participants in the makers residency programme of makers united.

18:45 to 21:30 Joint performance and testing of the motion composer

After getting to know the two perspectives, we will experience the results of their spontaneous collaboration in this FUNKEN Night. The motion composer will be presented live and everyone is invited to test and try it out for themselves!

Admission free | Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

Cover picture: Copyright Ferdinand Doblhammer

Impressions of the event

Photographs by Michele Scognamillo

Organisations and projects are confronted with problems every day that require creative ideas and solutions. In this workshop, we will get to know a catalogue of artistic methods that help us to understand and communicate complex processes. In the 3.5-hour workshop, we will use practical exercises to develop the strategies of artistic research as a tool for a change of perspective in organisational development and communication. We will work in small teams and discuss concrete implementation ideas for your organisation.

Emanuel Mathias is an artist and researcher. He deals with distance-proximity relationships in interdisciplinary contexts between the documentary and the speculative, art and society as well as humans and nature.
From 2017 to 2024, as part of his Artistic Ph.D. at the Bauhaus University Weimar, he researched the proximity-distance relationship of biologists studying the behaviour of great apes.

Number of participants: 16 people

Please register at christoph@klubsolitaer.de

Image: Emanuel Mathias: Exhibition view Im Windschatten des T., Kunsthalle Erfurt, 2022
© photo: WaltherLeKon, Emanuel Mathias / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025

As part of the FUNKEN Kolleg process, we cordially invite you to an interim presentation! The ongoing collaborations provide an insight into the current status of the conceptual and practical development of artistic-experimental research.
The event will focus on the presentation and joint reflection of the work statuses by the participants.

The aim is to open up the spaces for thought and practice created in the FUNKEN Space, to make initial findings visible and to reflect together on the role of artistic research in a changing society.

No Admission| Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

On 1 April, we will gain an insight into their work in the field of interactive AI and art together with the artist duo Juliana and Andrey Vrady at Funken Night. We will learn how facial recognition is used to read and visualise our emotions based on the nuances of our expressions.

They turn the tables and ask: “How does AI perceive us?”

Afterwards, we will round off the evening with music, drinks and stimulating conversations in a convivial atmosphere.

From 17:00 Open Doors
17:30 – Juliana and Andrey Vrady
18:15 – Showing and evening finale

Admission free | Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

IMPRESSIONS OF THE EVENT

Photographs by Michele Scognamillo

Our programme is aimed at employees and creative professionals who are looking for new ways to shape their corporate cultures and strategies. Through interactive sessions, practical examples and creative exercises, participants will learn how to integrate artistic practices into their professional activities and thus develop new perspectives and solutions.

Tuesday, 1 April | 14:00-17:00, FUNKEN Space, Technology Campus 6
FUNKEN College X YAWI

We have invited the Initiative for Reflection and Feedback on Work Stands to familiarise ourselves with current developments in our collaborations, discuss them together and learn about and try out methods for moderated feedback. YAWI teaches us how to talk about project work and processes in art. We will also learn more about the work status of the Funken Kolleg’s collaborations.

The ‘you are warmly invited’ initiative focuses on work processes. Together with actors from the time-based visual and performing arts, experiences have been shared, knowledge generated and new connections established through various formats since 2020. Interested artists and cultural practitioners are invited to show each other the status of their work and reflect on it using moderated feedback methods.
Number of participants: 25 people
Please register!

Tuesday, 8 April | 16:00-19:00, FUNKEN Space, Technologiecampus 6
FUNKEN Kolleg X Karola Köpferl, Prompt & Play – AI as a creative partner

Is this art or still prompt? In this workshop, we will demystify the myths of artificial intelligence with Karola Köpferl, researcher and hacker, and explore unusual approaches to language models.

Karola is a certified social worker and PhD student with an interdisciplinary focus on the use of smart technologies. She sees herself as a mediator between social sciences and computer science and deals with topics such as the Internet of Things, hacking, artificial intelligence and data protection. She also heads the “Erika meets ChatGPT” project, in which an old typewriter was converted into an interface for AI interactions.

Number of participants: 16 people
Please register and bring your laptop!

Please register by e-mail to christoph@klubsolitaer.de

Impressions of the event

Photographs by Michele Scognamillo

Spark Nights #2 – Multimodal

On 4 March 2025 at 17:00 on the Technology Campus, we will experience how data, information and objects become image and sound in artistic practice. Intuitively graspable, they open up new, unimagined perspectives on the everyday.

Afterwards, we will round off the evening with music, drinks and stimulating conversations in a convivial atmosphere.

From 17:00 Open Doors

17:30 to 18:00 – Atelier Polza

Emma Chapuy and Paul Schengber develop audiovisual installations as well as 2D and 3D animations. They specialise in creative coding in an interdisciplinary context. Their work invites you to put aside familiar ways of seeing things, change your perspective and discover new connections.
We invited them to give us an insight into their work.

18:00 to 18:45 – The Sonificator – by and with Carl Ahner, Studio MSG
What melodies are hidden in things? Carl Ahner searched for the sonic identities of things and invented the SONIFIKATOR. He blurs the boundaries between seeing, hearing and feeling objects. What do the objects we deal with in everyday life or at work sound like? Find out – bring them along and place them on the sonificator! (max. 500 g, 10 x 10 cm)

18:45 to 21:30 FUNKEN Funk with Curl
yetunseen says: “Curl likes the weird, special, funny moments that music can give you in good company. As a DJ, Curl moves in cosmic realms, edgy house and disco, if you will.

Admission free | Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

Impressions of the event

Photographs by Michele Scognamillo

Discover the future cultural and community centre, get talking and be inspired – the ideal way to wind down between work, the lab and the couch at home!

Here is our programme:

From 5om: Open doors

5:30 to 6:00pm – Artistic-technological research in Chemnitz – with Robert Verch, co-initiator of the Funken Akademie

Robert presents the vision and structure of the Funken Kolleg and shows how a platform for artistic-experimental research is being established that provides creative impulses for science, business and technology.

6:00 to 6:30pm – Anecdotes of “artistic facts” – with Enrique Torres, founder and project manager of the Art & Science Residency in Jena

Enrique shares inspiring anecdotes from the exciting interface between science and art. He provides insights into the harmonious potential of transdisciplinary work and brings concrete examples that show how multi-layered and resonant the interplay between art and science can be.

6:30 to 9:30pm FUNKEN Funk with “zusammensindwirDisco”

NDW-enthusiastic presenters Lea and Sophia take us on a musical journey through Neue Deutsche Welle. With a special focus on technical innovations, they answer the question: How did NDW artists think about the future?

free entry | Technologiecampus 6, 09126 Chemnitz

You can find impressions of our previous projects – for example with the Fraunhofer Institutes, Ars Electronica and Saxon universities – here. Over a period of four months, the participants work on joint projects within the framework of collaborative programme situations. The thematic, methodological or organisational design of the collaboration between the partners is jointly determined and agreed as part of the matching process and initiated and supported by the FUNKEN Kolleg.

Applications are open to professional, freelance artists or collectives from all disciplines with a connection to technology and an interest in ArtScience collaborations. Applicants should have a demonstrable connection to Saxony through their professional work or artistic activities in the region.

The fee is calculated on the basis of the time required for the project, including material costs, travel expenses and daily allowance. The estimated time required is approximately 25 daily rates and may vary depending on the specific agreements of the collaboration partners.

The knowledge gained in this context about the functioning of cross-innovative processes and methods will be presented at events during the Capital of Culture 2025 in Chemnitz and published in the form of a handout on the project website, making external knowledge transfer a central component of the project in the sense of sustainable dissemination of the project experience.

Here is the open call as download: FUNKEN OPEN CALL 2025

Application material:
If you are interested, send your project outline to christoph@klubsolitaer.de. We would be particularly pleased to receive an initial project outline of no more than 3 pages on the possibility of collaboration, especially with regard to:

• Desired project topic
• Technological approach
• Methods or materials
• Idea about affordable time expenditure

We are also happy to build on existing collaborations:

• optional: possible partners from business and research

The projects submitted will be selected according to their artistic approach and feasibility in collaboration with our business and research partners. We look forward to inspiring, artistic contributions!

Questions:
If you have any questions, please contact the project management at the same email address christoph@klubsolitaer.de or by telephone on 49 (0) 371 676 046 99.

The mission to practically explore mechanisms of cross-innovation and co-creativity and make them accessible to the general public. Until May 2025, the Kreatives Chemnitz & Klub Solitaer associations will implement six collaboration programmes as part of the FUNKEN Kolleg, accompanied by workshops, keynote speeches and public presentations. The FUNKEN Kolleg will bring together actors from the arts and sciences with intrapreneurs from the business world.

Business and art can learn and benefit from each other! The FUNKEN Kolleg creates an environment in which art, business and science can develop new ideas and solutions together. This is where different views and skills come together to drive innovation. They share their ideas and problems and use them to create prototypes and works of art. These results will be shown to a global audience during the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.

Why participation is worthwhile for your company:

• Expertise development: Your employees learn creative methods and develop innovative solutions.

• Discover talent: Find new talents and partners through joint projects.

• Innovative perspectives: Develop fresh approaches for your production and innovation in dialogue with art, science and technology.

• Individual support: Take part in workshops that are specifically tailored to your topics.

• Expand your network: Make contacts with experts from other fields such as art, culture and science.

• Visibility: Showcase your innovations publicly as part of the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.
• Part of a special project: Become part of FUNKEN, which connects art, science and society.

Get involved! Share your ideas and needs with us. Together we can create creative solutions, innovative approaches and long-term partnerships. Fill out our form or contact us at any time for comments or queries: info@funken-akademie.de

The organisers of the Oulu Dance Hack from Finland are visiting Chemnitz to host one of their dance hacks in collaboration with the FUNKEN Academy. These explore the relationship between technology and movement using the means of movement and dance as well as programming and prototyping skills.

In an intensive workshop, participants from the fields of dance, music and technology will explore different types of technology, e.g. robotics and automation, health technology and wearables, smart lighting solutions, AI, software development – in fact anything that can be utilised with a moving body. Artistic techniques and ideation processes can be explored simultaneously.

Dance hacks are improvisations – we start with a simple task and are awake with all our senses and let the collective flow guide us. Everyone is a specialist here, can contribute something valuable and show other participants something new.

At the end, we will have gained experience that will allow us to approach our own work with new tools, methods and creative skills.

If you want to take part, let us know:
What could you bring to the hack?
What do you work with?
What equipment do you need to improvise?

Register here or send us an email to info@funken-akademie.de

On the afternoon of 2 November, the participants will present the process, show excerpts from the results and invite an exchange of ideas.

02.11th | 17:oo h | Technology Campus 6, 09126, Chemnitz

Admission free.
The event will be held in English.

The aim of the FUNKEN Kolleg is to bring together players from the fields of art, science and business and to promote innovative approaches. By involving so-called intrapreneurs from small and medium-sized enterprises, artistic-technological projects are to be enriched with practical expertise.

By May 2025, the project sponsors – Kreatives Chemnitz e. V. and Klub Solitaer e. V. – will have implemented a total of six collaboration programmes, accompanied by workshops, expert impulses and public presentations. The project thus contributes to strengthening the innovative capacity of the Saxon economy and to implementing the Makers² programme area of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.

By bringing together artistic vision, scientific curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit, the FUNKEN Kolleg sets new standards for the way innovation is conceived and realised. The Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs supports the project financially on the basis of the Cultural and Creative Industries funding guideline.

Economics Minister Dulig emphasised the importance of the project: “The spark should be ignited in order to make better use of the innovation and transformation potential of the cultural and creative industries for the economy and society. Innovations require leaps of thought across industry boundaries and markets. The world and successful companies regularly reinvent themselves. This is also because they have to, as decarbonisation, a shortage of skilled workers, sustainability, digitalisation and artificial intelligence demand it. It is important to activate the innovation reserves of Saxony’s SMEs and thus increase the resilience of our economy.

MyGlass focusses on energy- and resource-efficient glass production. The artistic results were shown in an intervention in the mineral collection of terra mineralia Freiberg and can currently be seen on weekdays between 9am and 5pm in the ZEHS at Winklerstrasse 5 in Freiberg.

Pop Up Science is a format organised by 4transfer. The series of events communicates scientific findings and research results to a wide audience.

mattermorphosis presents 9 premier works by participants of the international Funken Academy program. It also narrates the process itself, in which artists experimented at Fraunhofer institutes – by assembling DNA, sculpting from substrate saturated with mycelium, and transforming information into virtual data, which were then processed into precise metal structures. mattermorphosis showcases the results of these explorations. Installations located simultaneously at WRO and IP Studio create an interwoven, multi-threaded narrative about technological transformations and their impact on material, our environment, bodies, and behavior.

mattermorphosis takes us on a journey through the complex and paradoxical nature of the materials with which the participants of the Funken Academy of artistic – technological research worked. They faced the challenges of capturing, showcasing and preserving mutating forms. They confronted the intangible matter of the nano-scale, sculpting invisible structures using DNA origami (DNA assembly). They explored the vulnerability of organic systems while attempting to provide the right conditions necessary to grow and work with unpredictable matter (mycelium). Finally, subjecting themselves to the very strict rules of working with machines, they attempted to encode information and data into metal artifacts (3D metal printing). Tasks carried out in Fraunhofer laboratories governed by very precise procedures, instructions and treatment protocols did not always produce the expected results: material sometimes degraded, interferences occurred. Materiality revealed its ambiguous identity, relationality and multivalence, thus pointing to the limitations of tools, our language, knowledge, and understanding. 

Despite the diversity of topics proposed by the mentors of the 3 courses (Carolin Liebl & Nikolas Schmid-Pfähler, Pawel Janicki, Noor Stenfert Kroese) and separate technological focuses, certain research themes and processes, as well as some specific artistic threads and sensitivities intersected independently of the groups. The link was the active role of matter and its participation in shaping various aspects of reality, along a spectrum from speculation to agency (new materialism). The development and progress of technology, its influence on the evolution and transformation of the world provided the context for research (transhumanism). Meanwhile, the unrestrained imagination and creative freedom of the participants drove the entire process, leading to the creation of works diverse in their matter and variable in their forms (kinetic sculptures, interactive installations, virtual environments, generative sound installations).

Enigmatic taxa, mutating bodies and the cultivation of fulgurites

Charlotte Roschka presents a mysterious organism that due to insufficient data, ambiguous features and spontaneous behavior escapes systematics and taxonomy. In her work Insertae Sedis (enigmatic taxa), she creates a kinetic sculpture, mimicking the process of DNA folding (DNA origami) towards a stable and self-sustaining structure (self-supporting system). She uses a machine learning model trained on genes and images of organisms’ body structures, employing genetic material as an artistic medium, and speculating on future, as yet unidentified species and forms. Pai Litzenberger sculpts a transformable imagined organism that crosses different realms (from a digital 3D model to an ephemeral structure made of ice). They shape and deform its identity through gestures of micro-performativity (Ghostly Collector). Amelie Vierbuchen takes us into the chaotic realm of fulgurite cultivation. They guide us through the process from a lightning strike, during which extremely high temperatures are generated, to the melting of minerals and the solidification of crystalline structures. They attempt to recreate this natural process of reverse growth mechanism inside a precise metal printing machine ( _ _ harvest).

Dramaturgy of prime numbers, data stored in RNA, the printers’ drawer and a code of life

Erwin Jeneralczyk looks for patterns (rhythm) in mathematical sequences, such as prime numbers (analysis of the first million). Inspired by theories of emergence and chaos, he discovers subtle dependencies, and visualizes orderly patterns, extending his journey into the depths of noise and signal (Safeness). Working as a duo, Jonathan Joosten and Hendrik Klatte construct a rhizomatic structure, a heterogeneous ecosystem composed of fungi, minerals and found objects, placing them in an old printers’ drawer. The previously unrelated objects of the private collection become components of a contemporary modular synthesizer (An act of arriving (or becoming visible)). Sohyun Lee wonders if (foreign) memories can be encoded in our bodies? According to molecular biology research being developed by Oded Rechavi’s team, memories can be transferred between generations (epigenetic inheritance and RNA functions). Certain experiences affect our genes. A specific type of knowledge can be inherited at the cellular level, and the body becomes a repository of biological data. In The Case of Data Worm, the artist transforms a huge amount of RNA data into a 3D model and creates a metal structure from it. Laura Leppert creates a visual essay tracking the images and obsessions associated with DNA. She examines the scientific metaphor of DNA as the “code of life” – a universal language without an author. She guides us through historical processes of knowledge production, which over time become mythology. Oscillating between science and fiction, she follows the code – from nanotechnological laboratories, through the Museum of Natural History, to the complex systems of information encoding and decoding the black boxes of big data algorithms. (Code or Crysalis).

Side effects, hybrids and organic machinery, collaboration or exploitation

Eugénie Desmedt looks at the processes of creating an artistic work using organic matter as a physical material (from the growth to the decay of Reishi mushrooms). The conscious use of material leads to reflections on its status – from a friendly ally to a substance that is difficult to cooperate with and requires subordination and control (How to negotiate with a material). Sonia Kujawa continues this theme by raising questions about opportunities and risk factors in building symbiotic relationships based on collaboration with organic matter (mycelium). Where does the fine line between cooperation and co-creation end, and exploitation and control begin? Working with a sensitive organism requires attunement. Improper handled protocols destroy the material. Transferring these experiences to the plant-technology-human network, she creates an installation where a Japanese Willow (remarkably resilient and determined, despite its fragile appearance and tenderness) connected to electronics, follows a light source controlled by the viewer. The rather cruel choreography of conditioned reflexes simultaneously creates a relationship of dependency that is surprisingly appealing to observe. A strange byproduct of progress emerges (Symbionic Affairs).

Matter feels, converses, suffers, desires, yearns and remembers / Karen Barad

____________________________

Artists: Eugénie Desmedt, Charlotte Roschka, Erwin Jeneralczyk, Jonathan Joosten, Hendrik Klatte, Sonia Kujawa, Laura Leppert, Sohyun Lee, Pai Litzenberger, Amelie Vierbuchen

Curator: Dominika Kluszczyk

Preselection team: Ben Balcerzak, Dagmara Domagała, Kinga Gralak, Paweł Janicki, Zuzanna Jaworska, Tola Kita, Dominika Kluszczyk, Nari Kutlubasis, Mariia Serhiienko, Gosia Wrzosek

Production and coordination: Zuzanna Jaworska, Mariia Serhiienko

Visual Identity:  Kinga Gralak

Funken academy – European Summer School mentoring team: Carolin Liebl & Nikolas Schmid-Pfähler, Paweł Janicki, Noor Stenfert Kroese

The exhibition is implemented with the support of the Municipality of Wroclaw | wroclaw.pl, the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, and the European Union within the framework of the “Creative Europe” program.

DNA was folded and mycelium-containing substrate was moulded, information was transformed into virtual data and processed into fine metal structures.
On the afternoon of 13 October 2023, a public presentation at the Technology Campus in Chemnitz provided an opportunity to gain an insight into the preliminary results of the summer school and to engage in dialogue with all participants, after which the artistic works will be finalised and sent on a European exhibition tour in 2024.

For the next four months, these 30 talented individuals will collaborate under the guidance of three mentors to research, develop, and exchange ideas with scientists from prestigious Fraunhofer Institutes. The overarching goal of this unique initiative is to become innovation catalysts, fostering a seamless exchange between arts, culture, science, and high-tech. The ultimate aim is to create a valuable learning experience for all involved, culminating in the filtering and exhibition of the outcomes at prestigious events like Ars Electronica & WRO.

During the opening event, Jurij Krpan from the Slovenian art and science institution BioTehna of Kapelica Gallery gave an inspiring keynote speech in which he emphasized the role of participants as catalysts in the social innovation process. Such catalysts can momentarily align the fields of art, culture, science and technology and create new connections that have the potential to push the boundaries of creativity and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

In the further course, the participating artists, together with the research partners, familiarized themselves with the basics, processes, tools, machines, materials and laboratory facilities that form the resources for future artistic research and development in their chosen subject areas.

Shaping the invisible: Folding DNA strands and rendering structures on the nanoscale

Under the direction of Carolin Liebl and Nikolas Schmid-Pfähler, the group is exploring the complicated world of DNA folding and nanoscale structures. At the Center for Microtechnologies at Chemnitz University of Technology in cooperation with Fraunhofer ENAS, the participants immerse themselves in the nanosphere.

Metal Data Solid Culture – Information and its protection as an artistic medium

Under the direction of PAWEL JANICKI at FRAUNHOFER IWU, this project explores forms of information protection through shaping and encoding with artistic expression. The artists will explore how data comes together encoded in metal forms to create works that question our perception of information and its preservation.

I N T E R S P A C E Co-Creation with Mushrooms

Under the direction of NOOR STENFERT KROESE at FRAUNHOFER IWU, this project ventures into the world of co-creation with fungi. The artists will explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and fungi and create objects that reflect the profound connections between the natural and our world.

The foundations for the individual artistic projects have now been laid. The coming weeks promise many discoveries. We will keep you up to date.

The technologies that the research partners provide for the FUNKEN Academy – re:sourcing programm offer artists specific and novel possibilities in working with different matter, such as metal, DNA, and fungi. Over the term of the course we use them to expand the media and possibilities of artistic creation and modelling. At the same time, we invite participants to reflect artistically on the technological procedures.

LBPF technology enables the production of delicate solid metal structures in a 3D printing process. In another 3D printing process, self-growing, evolving structures can be produced from mycelium-impregnated substrate. With another technology and in a completely different dimension, DNA strands can be folded on a nanoscopic level.

The FUNKEN Academy will experiment with these technologies and explore the questions: 

• How does high-tech access to material shape the human and artistic use of resources? 
• What happens when we embark on a journey into the nanosphere for creative interventions? 
• What emerges when we design and shape with technical means in collaboration with another species? 
• Which codes and messages will be more important than their material value in the future?

Detailed information on the courses:

• Shaping the Invisible – Folding of DNA strands and rendering structures in nano scale | Carolin Liebl and Nikolas Schmid-Pfähler | Fraunhofer ENAS

• Metal Data Solid Culture – information and its protection as a medium of art | Pawel Janicki | Fraunhofer IWU

• I N T E R S P A C E  Co-creation with fungi | Noor Stenfert Kroese | Fraunhofer IWU

The detailed Open Call can be downloaded here:

Open Call | re:sourcing | European Summer School 2023